Sep

18

2013

MechWarrior Online developer and publisher Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publishing announced the official launch of MechWarrior Online today. Sporting a base of more than 1.3 million registered pilots, the free-to-play MechWarrior Online allows pilots to take control of the most powerful mechanical battle units the universe has ever seen.

“This is an extremely exciting day for everyone at Piranha,” said Russ Bullock, president of MechWarrior Online developer Piranha Games. “Our official launch comes on the heels of a successful Open Beta development period. Our passionate fans were with us every step of the way helping us create the most ambitious MechWarrior game yet!”

Set in the year 3050 during the early stages of a massive interstellar war, MechWarrior Online puts you in command of the most powerful war machine to ever walk the field of battle, the mighty BattleMech. Pilot your ‘Mech and customize it to suit your preferred battlefield role; upgrade systems, weapons, and armor with endless options giving you creative control over your battle strategy as you face your next opponent. MechWarrior Online delivers a rich online experience, rewarding everything a player does with experience points, C-Bills, unlocks, and recognition.

Bullock continued, “Our official launch is a jumping off point for a continuous stream of meaningful content updates to the game. We are looking forward to implementing the next round of major features for our pilots, including an entire new interface, new pilot tutorials, new Mechs and Maps and the long-awaited Community Warfare pillar. This is only the beginning. There is no final product.”

“What an incredible journey from our initial announcement to our official launch,” said Kelly Zmak, president of MechWarrior Online publisher Infinite Game Publishing. “Today we are proud to bring the most anticipated MechWarrior game in the series to fans around the world. The official launch of MechWarrior Online is just the beginning and we are excited for what lies ahead.”

On Thursday Sept 26th, Infinite Game Publishing and Piranha Games will host the official MechWarrior Online Launch Event and Tournament at The Mezzanine in San Francisco. Registrations to compete in the launch event tournament are closed, but fans are encouraged to watch it live at www.twitch.com/mechwarrior from 2 p.m. PDT. Sponsored by Ultimate Game Card, GeForce and Razer – the event promises to be the ultimate robot-stomping celebration of 2013. Details can be found atwww.mwomercs.com/events.

“We’re huge fans of MechWarrior Online,” says Min-Liang Tan, Razer co-founder, CEO and creative director. “The franchise has legions of diehard fans – many of which use our amazing products – and we’re thrilled to be supporting the launch of what should be the next amazing title in the series.”

The event will showcase upcoming new content plus award prizes, swag and will feature specialty food and cocktails imported directly from the Inner Sphere’s most exotic locations. Fans will also be treated to hands-on gameplay stations in an all-out party with the developers from Piranha celebrating the Inner Sphere’s finest pilots.

“MechWarrior Online is a tremendously popular title,” said Andre Machicao, general manager of PlaySpan, Inc. “PlaySpan is thrilled to work with Infinite Game Publishing to ensure a frictionless, in-game payment experience, so gamers can focus on conquering the battlefield.”

Aug

13

2013

Jul

23

2013

Today Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publishing honor the passing of one of the youngest and most talented Canadian pilots in the Inner Sphere, five-year-old Sarah Marie Alida Parries. A custom Jenner Class Chassis Champion ‘Mech, “Sarah’s ‘Mech”, is available now (http://mwomercs.com/sarah) for pilots to purchase for $10 USD through August 20th, with 100 percent of the proceeds (after third-party transaction fees) going to the Canadian Cancer Society (www.cancer.ca.)

The five year old Vancouver native loved piloting the Jenner ‘Mech in MechWarrior Online with her father, Jon Parries. Calling the enemy ‘Mechs “baddies”, she and her father dominated the Inner Sphere on a regular basis in the current Open Beta. Her favorite ‘Mech chassis was the Jenner ‘Mech with streak SRMs, “because she liked to move fast, lock on, and liked using night vision,” according to her father.

“Sarah’s passion for ‘Mechs and her battle with cancer had a profound impact everyone at Piranha,” said Russ Bullock, president of Piranha Games. “She was an inspiration with her passion and energy for the game and our hearts and deepest condolences go out to her family. The outpouring of heartfelt sympathy from the MechWarrior community and the support and encouragement we’ve received to develop this unique ‘Mech has been nothing short of incredible. We have the best fans in the world.”

President of Infinite Game Publishing Kelly Zmak said, “Sarah touched the hearts of everyone at IGP. We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to do something in her honor. Thank you to the Parries for working with us to make this a possibility, and our utmost gratitude to our community for supporting this endeavor.”

Sarah’s ‘Mech is equipped with a Sarah-themed custom exterior design (including an Inner Sphere pony!) Sarah’s ‘Mech also comes loaded with a 10 percent XP Boost. This is the one and only time that MechWarriors around the world can purchase this exclusive Charity ‘Mech and show their support to the ongoing fight against cancer. *One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society, net of applicable Sales Taxes and third-party transaction fees such as credit card and payment processing fees. These fees typically represent less than four percent of the purchase price.

Apr

03

2013

MechWarrior Online gets some ‘heavy metal’ today as the long-awaited fan-favorite, the Highlander Mech, is now available in the Mech Lab. Additionally, two exciting new game features have also gone live with this latest update – the ‘Air Strike’ and ‘Artillery Strike’ features.

The Air Strike feature allows a pilot to call in a fighter air strike on a targeted zone on the field of battle, dropping up to six bombs after a five second flight time delay. Each bomb rips 10 points of damage, striking a devastating blow on your enemy from above. The Artillery Strike option calls in a barrage of long-range artillery, with up to six shells shattering your foe with 10 points of damage.

New Thermal and Night Vision modes have been updated for players, and the new and extremely popular Testing Grounds have had some performance enhancements with the latest patch.

Jan

16

2013

Infinite Game Publishing and Piranha Games launched one of the fiercest and quickest Mechs into the InnerSphere today as the Spider Mech made its way into the MechWarrior Online store. Available now, Spider is one of the most maneuverable and agile of all Light Mechs with a whopping eight jumpjets and an unmatched turning radius. Spider pilots can create nightmares for pilots of heavier Mechs on the battlefield; this is the time to watch your back!

In addition to the Spider becoming available, an exciting 3-day in-game event is coming Friday, January 18 at 10 am Pacific – the first-ever MechWarrior Online Double XP event. Scheduled to run the duration of the weekend, MechWarrior pilots will hunker down at home in order to defend and conquer in the InnerSphere. The event concludes on Monday, January 21 at 10 am Pacific. To truly maximize XP earning potential, MechWarrior pilots can stack up other XP-boosting techniques such as their Founder benefits, Premium Time and Hero Mech XP-boosts to unlock powerful pilot enhancements quickly.

“After a much-needed break over the holidays, we’re raring to go with exciting 2013 content updates,” said Bryan Ekman, creative director, Piranha Games. “The addition of community-focused features such as the Double XP event, new Mechs and performance tweaks let’s us kickoff the New Year in a big way. This is just the beginning of a huge year for MechWarrior fans.”

Smaller yet important content additions accompanied the Spider Mech reveal today as the new Decay Target pilot module offers the power to keep the enemy target Mech in sight longer. This valuable time advantage of up to an additional 1.5 seconds (from the default 2 seconds) may make the difference in being able to take down enemies in heated battles, giving pilots the critical edge they need. This week’s patch also includes another pilot focused content upgrade – a Sensor Range Pilot Module – boosting sensor range from 15 to 25 percent. Finally, players can also outfit their Mech with the new custom Woodland pattern, which is available in the Mech Bay today.

MechWarrior Online continues to boost content for players with meaningful, scheduled gameplay enhancements and bug fixes with the January 15 and 22nd content updates. While the Spider offers its own advantages, fans have reason to get excited about the upcoming Commando Hero Mech named, “Death’s Knell” available on January 22. A new addition to the MechWarrior universe, Death’s Knell is a fast, yet small Mech that packs 176 points of armour and four medium lasers – two in each arm. More details about Death’s Knell is available at http://mwomercs.com/game/battlemechs/hero.

Sign up for MechWarrior Online and jump into the free-to-play action immediately: www.mwomercs.com.

Dec

18

2012

Massive new additions to MechWarrior Online will be live today as Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publishing announce “Conquest Mode” – the highly anticipated mode that allows for capturable locations in the Inner Sphere, greatly altering gameplay strategies. In addition to Conquest Mode, three epic new Mechs are available today as well as a new twist on an urban environment that will force you to walk the precipice of darkness (and ledges): River City Night. For beginners, the developers have addressed ease-of-advancement issues faced by new players by implementing an entirely new reward system enabling a more rapid advancement toward purchasing more powerful Mechs. Existing players will also benefit from economy changes.

“Conquest mode is a huge addition to how the game is played and one that I think veteran players will enjoy” said Bryan Ekman, creative director at Piranha Games. “We’re also excited to see how new players react to the changes in advancement at the beginning of the game. One issue we’ve heard repeatedly is that MechWarrior Online has a steep learning curve. We feel this content update drastically improves this aspect of the game and look forward to hearing the feedback from new players.”

The full run down of content in the Conquest Mode update is below:

Conquest Mode – a key game mode inspired by the BattleTech franchise, Conquest Mode puts five capturable locations on the map, each of which give players points over time as they are held. Players can neutralize and then capture enemy locations by standing on them. Cooperation among your lance is more important than ever as competing teams will constantly be trying to outflank the other and new strategies will need to be formed to win the match.

Economy Update and New Cadet Bonus Rewards – Fans who have not yet tried MechWarrior Online have a new reason to jump in and get hooked this holiday. New players will receive a “Cadet Bonus” (C-Bills bonus) for the first 25 games, enabling new recruits to advance faster and purchase more powerful Mechs. Additional economy changes include trial Mechs getting the same rewards as normal Mechs (including Mech XP), a one-time bonus for existing players who have completed over 26 matches and rewards given based on active participation for each round, i.e. gameplay performance for securing a win, loss and kill values among other fairness and balance changes.

Three New Mechs – All with different combat styles, histories and unique battlefield advantages:

o Two Hero Mechs – The Twin Dragons: Piloted by brothers, these Mechs have very different styles of combat; one focuses on close range brawling, and the other on long-range attacks. Ever trying to best the other, they can be found side-by-side, but always trying to outshine the other. Born on New Samarkand and part of a noble family, they attended the Sun Zhang MechWarrior Academy together; upon graduation, each was given a Dragon – to Martin, a DRG-1C belonging to his grandmother, and to Donald, a DRG-1N that belonged to their father.

o The Stalker Assault Mech – Weighing in at 85 tons and containing multiple missile and energy slots with a terrifying primary variant, this Assault Mech – a giant on the battlefield – may soon be one of the most popular in the Mech lineup.

River City Night Map – This urban map is extremely dark, which means Night Vision and Thermal Vision are a must. Weapons fired in the background will light up the night sky, but don’t get distracted by the fireworks; make sure to watch out for ledges and avoid falling into the water when scouting for enemies.

Phranken Mech Pattern and Camo Spec Paint – These newly released badass patterns and paint specs can now be applied to all Mechs in the MechLab.

New Year’s Items – Seven unique items are available to decorate your cockpit in celebration of the New Year – the year 3050 in the Inner Sphere including:

o Balloons for that extra cheer

o Hanging New Years Banner

o Ice bucket

o Classy Mech bobblehead, featuring a recognizable Mech

o 3050 hologram – Happy New Years!

o Champagne glass hologram

o Top hat to add some class to your cockpit

Weapon Speed Increases, Performance and Bug Fixes – The projectile speed of all ballistic weapons (except the gauss and AC/2), has been upped resulting in targets taking incoming fire sooner. Performance and bug fixes are also a noticeable change in this week’s content update.

Dec

04

2012

Infinite Game Publishing and Piranha Games today launched key competitive gameplay advancements for the ultimate Mech simulator, MechWarrior Online with 8v8 custom group Match Making, Electronic Counter Measure Suite warfare as well as the next Hero Mech, Ilya Muromets. In addition, players can outfit their cockpit with holiday-themed cockpit items including a Santa bobblehead.

“With the new 8-player group vs. group action and ECM, the competitive element in the game has been upped in a major way,” said Bryan Ekman, creative director, Piranha Games. “Blending new content with the rich history of the BattleTech universe, we are excited to introduce Ilya Muramets CTF-IM Cataphract, the first PGI-crafted character, a resilient and balanced Hero Mech representing the Capellan Confederation.”

Phase two of Match Making marks the early stages of Community Warfare in the InnerSphere, allowing players to form 8-player groups and take them into battle. Prior to this content patch, players could form groups with a maximum of 4 players; matches will continue to support 8v8 player combat and will not be weight class restricted to enable quick match launches. Additional Match Making functionality will be added in Phase three, taking into the consideration the Merc Corp, competitive league players and additional requests made to date.

Nov

28

2012

Infinite Game Publishing and Piranha Games launched the long-awaited mega-update, “Camo Spec” today for the ultimate Mech simulator, MechWarrior Online. Included in Camo Spec is the ability to customize your Mech with various paint, patterns and cockpit items – allowing you to define your team and set your style while you stomp to victory in the InnerSphere. Additionally, the patch grants players the heralded return of Bitching Betty, the official female cockpit voiceover from the original MechWarrior games. For Founders of MechWarrior Online an activation button has been added granting fans the option to choose when their premium time begins.

“Camo Spec brings to life a very important part of the BattleTech universe,” said Bryan Ekman. “With this new addition I’m excited to see a real evolution towards defining your own MechWarrior persona and bringing to life the richness of the past, present and future MechWarrior Online heroes.”

The first phase of the paint and pattern content allows fans to stand out with distinctive options available in the Mech Lab. Available now, the “Dazzle” pattern scheme can be applied to any Mech with more patterns in the pipeline, including the “Urban Block” and “Woodland” designs which will be live in the next few weeks. Additionally, the intimidating “Phraken” pattern is now available for the recently launched Cataphract Mech. With the different patterns and color schemes hitting the Mech Lab in coming weeks, the design possibilities for MechWarrior fans across the InnerSphere will be endless.

The Camo Spec content update also allows fans to decorate their home away from home with fun, custom items for their cockpit — including the beloved Hula Girl, colorful faction banners and other fun items. Each cockpit can host up to three pieces of décor (hanging, standing or mounted) which can be either earned or purchased, depending on the item. There’s no better way to make your Mech feel like home!

As part of the Camo Spec update, fans will be treated to a very familiar sound as the original voice “Bitching Betty” is back and awesome as ever in MechWarrior Online. Additionally, the new environment setting, Frozen City at Night, is now live: Tangle with your opponents as you dodge through the huge shadows, with very large shooting lanes as the fog has disappeared entirely. Frozen City at Night requires new strategies and tactics for your lances if you are going to maintain a stronghold in the area.

Sign up for MechWarrior Online and jump into the action immediately: www.mwomercs.com.